Raymond Wells
Ray Wells is the principal of Blackwell Academy. He doesn't leave his office much and often looks distracted. His office is in the main building of the campus. Max has seen him being nicer to other students, so she feels like he dislikes her. Biography The following is what Max wrote about Ray in her journal: I can't figure out where Principal Wells is coming from. For some reason, he seems to be suspicious of me at all times. Who knew I was that much trouble? He wanted to know why I was zoning out in the halls. I stuttered like a fool. He has so much power over my scholarship I get uber-nervous around him. I've seen him laughing with other teachers and students, so I know he must have a problem with me. He also seems a little stressed out. I would be too if I had to oversee Blackwell and all its drama. I thought I smelled alcohol on his breath but that could have been his cologne. Right? But I remember my first meeting in his office and he was so nice and made me feel like I was becoming part of a special world. He said he hoped I would become a great photographer and someday return the favor to Blackwell. I thought that was a bit of wishful thinking, but it made me feel good. I just need to lay low around him. Until I can somehow gain his trust. Personality Wells is a stern authority figure. He keeps mostly to himself, staying in his office most of the time. Background Easily threatened by the Prescott family, Wells must strike a balance between caring for the Blackwell community and its students, and keeping the vast sums of funding the Prescott family provide. He is appearantly under a lot of pressure in his responsibility as a principal and therefore developed an drinking problem. Episode One - "Chrysalis" Max initially comments that she hasn't seen much of Wells, as he stays in his office most of the time. She doesn't go to the principal on her way to help Chloe because she didn't want to stall. After Max sets off the fire alarm to save Chloe from being shot by Nathan, Principal Wells can say he doesn't want her wandering around indoors, and to go outside. However, before she can leave, he asks Max to come back. If she goes to him before leaving, he asks if she is okay. Max can either report Nathan or hide the truth. If she tells the truth, Principal Wells says he will look into the matter personally, but thinks that it is uncharacteristic of Nathan to have a gun because of his reputation. He says they will continue the discussion later, but for now she has to go outside. If she hides the truth, she can say she felt dizzy and that's why she is wandering around. She avoids telling him what happened and ends up offending him with her attitude. He emails Max's mom about the incident, and adds he is concerned that Max is not fitting in well and is hiding in her dorm room. When Max goes outside, the principal says over the school loudspeakers that he wants to see Nathan. Later, Max can tell Luke that she told Principal Wells about Nathan having a gun, which pleases Luke to hear because he dislikes Nathan. Episode Two - "Out of Time" The principal is able to be spoken to after Max returns to school following Chloe's train incident. Ray Wells is standing outside his office door, in a distressed manner, and can be spoken to. If Max had spoke to the principal about Nathan's gun incident the previous day, the principal dismisses her accusations and tells Max to focus on her school work. He then mentions that Blackwell is ushering in a new era of surveillance security. When Max attempts to question him about this or David Madsen's actions with Kate, the principal further dismisses her by claiming she is on a spree of false accusations. Before Max can say anything else, he claims he has a meeting to attend to and shoos her away. Later, following Kate's suicide attempt, he will convene a meeting in his office with Mr. Jefferson, David Madsen, Nathan Prescott, and Max to discuss what happened on the rooftop. Whether Max was successful in saving Kate or not, the principal will want to know from Max every detail about what happened. Episode Three - "Chaos Theory" Chloe and Max have the chance to enter and explore Wells' office in the episode. Aside from finding records of students scattered around the office, they also find some helpful clues leading towards the disappearance of Rachel Amber; most notably a drawing done by Nathan with the words Rachel in the Dark Room" written repeatedly. Max can also observe a bottle of whiskey in the corner of Wells' office; implying that he uses alcohol to cope with the stress of his job. Episode Four - "Dark Room" Despite the fact that Wells is not featured in the following episode, Wells is seen speaking to Mark Jefferson in the Prescott Dormitory grounds before Chloe and Max enter, which is when he leaves the dormitory. Episode Five - "Polarized" TBA Spirit Animal and Symbolism Colour Symbolism Ray is associated with the color red; the color of his shirt. It is indicative of power, money and tragic circumstances, as well as aggression. It is highly probable that in his situation, money and power are the two most likely associations, as he deals with the funding situation and the Prescott family on a regular basis, as well as being a powerful figure at Blackwell as the Principal. We know that he drinks in order to deal with the stress of his profession, providing the possibility that he becomes enraged when drunk. Spirit Animal The statue of the bronze Hawk on Ray's desk could indicate that his spirit animal is an hawk. This would be symbolic of a strong, opportunistic figure; fitting for the principal. Discussed Theories Note: These are theories developed prior to the release of Episode 5: Polarized. The possibility of a link between Ray and Jefferson, as well as the Prescotts, was discussed. Obviously, the Prescotts nearly own Blackwell and that Wells must keep them happy in order to facilitate their continued funding of the Academy. Nathan and Wells share meaningful looks in the office after Kate's incident, a possible indication that Wells could be in some way involved and must take Nathan's side in the situation. However, in some scenarios he does suspend Nathan, which could indicate that he is actually uninvolved with the mysterious disappearances, and that he is simply a principal attempting to keep his school afloat. However, the bottle of whiskey in the Prescott Bunker was considered a possible link to him - we know he is an alcoholic due to the stressful nature of his occupation. So perhaps he was in some way involved with the Prescotts, further than just keeping them happy enough to retain funding for Blackwell. Keeping them happy could have entailed keeping quiet about their involvement in the disappearances, or possibly assisting in the kidnapping of victims. Category:Characters Category:Male Characters Category:Blackwell Academy Staff Category:Alive Category:Dark Room Conspiracy Category:Episode One: Chrysalis Characters Category:Episode Two: Out of Time Characters Category:Episode Three: Chaos Theory Characters Category:Episode Four: Dark Room Characters Category:Episode Five: Polarized Characters